Locking-hinge.



No. 856,937. PATENTED JUNE 11, 1907. 0. A. BELL.

LOOKING HINGE.

APPLICATION FILED FEB, 24. 1906.

UNITED STATES ORO A. BELL, OF NEW YORK, N. Y

COMPANY, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, A CORPORATION OF ILLINOIS.

ASSIGNOR TO WESTERN ;.'.i

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented June 11, 1907.

Application filed Febru ry 24.1906. Serial No. 302,808.

To all whont it nut/y 00/b607IL.

Be it known that I, Ono A. BELL, a citizen of the United States,residing at New York, in the county of New York and State of New York,have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in LockingdIingcs, ofwhich the following is a full, clear, concise, and OX act description.

A switchboard key shelf must be hinged in order that it may be lifted togive access to the working parts of the keys and other apparatus belowor on the under side of the shelf. As the shelf when equipped is quiteheavy, it is desirable that it shall be braced when lifted to preventits falling either forward or backward against the face of theswitchboard. Accidents have happened, resulting not only in damage tothe apparatus but injury to those who have been in the way, by thefalling of the shelf when un braced as heretofore.

The object of my invention is to provide a hinge of such constructionthat the shelf will be automatically locked in position when lifted.

Speaking quite specifically, my invention consists in a hinge havingthree plates. Two of these plates constitute the leaves, the third plateconstituting a brace. This brace 'is hinged to the edge of one of theleaves and is adapted to engage automatically with the edge of thecorresponding leaf as the hinge is opened, as in the act of raising theshelf, a spring being provided which is adjusted to press the brace in adirection to cause it to thus engage with the edge of the leafcorresponding to that to which the braccis hinged.

My invention will be more readily understood by reference to theaccompanying drawing, in which Figure 1 shows my hinge applied to a keyshelf, the shelf being down, or in its normal position; Fig. 2 is asectional view on line 22 of Fig. 3, showing the shelf open and lockedin position by the hinge; Fig. 3 is a front elevation showing the hingeand shelf in the same position as in Fig. 2; Fig. 4 illustrates amodification of my hinge, in which the brace is adapted to prevent theshelf from closing only.

Like parts are indicated by the same letters of reference throughout thedifferent figures.

As will be readily understood, the shelf (I, when equipped with keys andswitches will be quite heavy. It is placedin front next to the operator,and constitutes, as it were, a table, and is hinged to the frame orfixed portion I), the switchboard proper, not shown, being erectedabove. The hinge which I have invented consists of the leaf c pivoted asusual to the leaf (1, and the brace c hinged at 'to the ed e of the leaf(1 a s )rin being i" 7 l provided which is adapted to bear against thebrace and cause it to ride upon the lip I). on the leaf as the shelf isopened, until the brace comes into position to engage with said lip. Asshown in Figs. 1, 2 and 3, the brace is provided with a slot at itslower edge, thus forming shoulders i 1.: which engage with the said lipon the leaf 0 to lock the shelf when. raised in position, to prevent thesame from falling either backward or forward. In Fig. 4 the brace isleft with a bevel shaped edge adapted to engage with the inside of theprojccting lip of the leaf 0, thus preventing the shelf from fallingforward. I prefer, however, the construction shown in the other figures,whereby the shelf is positively locked.

it will be understood that two hinges will be used ordinarily with eachshelf.

My invention admits of formal variations as, for example, the engagementbetween the free end of the brace and the projecting lip of the leaf andas to the manner of pivoting the brace to the edge of the correspondingleaf, and in the engagement of the spring g, which will readily suggestthemselves to those skilled in the art. I. therefore do not wish tolimit my claims to the precise details of construction illustrated.

Ilaving thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secureby Letters Patent 1. The combination with a two-leaf hinge, one of whoseleaves is provided with an inturned lip, of a brace pivoted to the otherleaf, and a spring for pressing said brace against said lip, hereby thebrace is caused to engage with said lip and to automatically lock themembers in their adjusted position.

2. The combination with a t\\"o-leaf hinge,

' lip is adapted to ride and automatically lock one of whose leaves isprovided with an in- In witness whereof, I hereunto subscribe turnedlip, of a brace pivoted to the other my name this 1st day of November,A. D. to leaf, said brace having a channel upon the 1905. side bearingagalnst said lip lnto Wlnch said 0R0 A BELL.

the hinge members in their adjusted posi- Witnesses:

tions, and a spring for forcing said brace into ROY T. ALLOWAY,

engagement with said lip. E. F. BEAUBIEN.

